FORMER West Indies T20 skipper Darren Sammy has expressed confidence in the team’s ability to book a spot at next year’s World Cup ahead of crucial World Cup qualifiers next month.

The Windies failed to secure automatic qualification to the 2019 world cricket showpiece after falling outside of the top eight teams by the September 2017 cutoff date. In order to punch a ticket to London, the team must now finish as one of the top two at the 10-team qualifiers in Zimbabwe.

The Windies participation in the tournament was dogged by controversy even before it began with four prominent players Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Darren Bravo and Andre Russell declining to make themselves available for the competition.

The World Cup squad, however, contains several other experienced players with likes of Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuel, Devendra Bishoo and Kemar Roach set to make the trip. Sammy wished the two-time champions luck.

“I wish the guys all the best and I hope we finish in the top two and be a part of the World Cup 2019. It will be very sad if we can’t qualify. I have confidence that players could pull through and qualify for the prestigious tournament that we have always been part of,” Sammy said.

(Sportsmax)